Little Big Releases Anti-War Song and Flees Russia

Little Big is now blacklisted from performing!

Little Big is one of Russia’s biggest musical exports. With music videos racking up over a billion hits, this unusual band has a surprisingly powerful platform amongst young people in Russia. Now, Little Big has broken its silence and has expressed its disapproval of the war in Ukraine. Not only that, but the band has also decided to leave the country entirely.

Little Big (from IMDB)

“War is not over. Stop war in Ukraine. Stop wars worldwide. No one deserves war,” read the lyrics in their latest single, Generation Cancellation. Like many of their other projects, the music video is an incredible spectacle, full of satire and political commentary. With Generation Cancellation, Little Big has been brutally honest in an attempt to wake up and indoctrinated Russian youth. The video depicts evil political figures using soldiers as chess pieces, and also shows a brainwashed public breathing in the toxic fumes of the propaganda machine. Even though the video doesn’t directly reference Putin and his regime, the video is a clear attack on the current political situation in their home country.

Since March 2022, Russia has been attempting a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. So far, thousands of soldiers and innocent civilians have lost their lives, and over 20% of Ukrainian land is now under Russian control. Meanwhile, the Russian propaganda machine is working at full capacity, pumping harmful and untrue narratives that Ukraine is engulfed by Nazism, and therefore needs saving by ‘mother Russia’. The Kremlin has a monopoly of media outlets in Russia, meaning that there are very few ways in which unbiased and balanced news can be shared. Music, however, is one of the few outlets in which the truth can be told. And, with a huge band like Little Big announcing their disapproval, this could help change some minds.

Ilya Prusikin recently addressed the band’s viewpoint on Newsweek, saying, “We adore our country, but we completely disagree with the war in Ukraine, moreover, we believe that any war is unacceptable. We condemn the actions of the Russian government, and we are so disgusted by the Russian military propaganda machine that we decided to drop everything and leave the country.” The 37-year-old then continued to express his concerns for the future if the war isn’t de-escalated, “The main message is that we live in fear,” he said. “We don’t know what to expect right now. At this point, even an atomic war seems a possibility.”

Little Big (from Eurovision)

Little Big has paid a huge price for speaking out. The band is expecting their citizenship to be renounced and they have already lost thousands of devoted fans. Although, many stuck around, as Little Big’s main appeal is its controversial nature and its social/political commentary. Ilya hopes to return to his homeland one day, to see his friends and family, but Russia has blacklisted the band from playing live shows. A return to Russia now looks unlikely. “I’ve got no voice, die or leave, die or leave, I’ve got no choice,” says some hard-hitting lyrics in Generation Cancellation. Little Big has had to pay a high price for speaking their mind. Let’s hope it has an impact.